Extreme Rules has come and gone, and fans were treated to a cage match, a sprawling Chicago street fight, and even some good old fashioned arse kissing. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons from Extreme Rules 2015.
Pros
If we are being completely honest, there wasn’t a lot to choose from tonight in terms of positives. If forced to choose a Match of the Night, it would have to be Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper in a Chicago Street Fight. The action was stiff and sprawling, with Ambrose beating Harper senseless with a kendo stick to start the match before Harper turned the tables and suplexed the Lunatic Fringe through a chair. After receiving a snake eyes into a chair propped up in the corner, Ambrose regained momentum after hitting an awesome clothesline from the apron. The backstage segments were refreshing, and it was nice to see this one continue later in the night. After two matches, the competitors returned in their car and interrupted the New Day’s victory celebration, with the action once again returning to the ring. From there, Harper buried Ambrose under a pile of chairs, but it would ultimately backfire, as Ambrose would suplex Harper onto the chairs and hit Dirty Deeds for the win. Overall, these two had great chemistry, Ambrose provided some humor, and it was a creative way to start the show.
The tag team match was definitely a treat tonight. As always, Kidd and Cesaro went together like peanut butter and jelly, teaming up for multiple combination moves throughout the match. Cesaro was the clear star of this one, displaying his strength by catching Big E in midcard and slamming him to the canvas. Just as it looked as if the champs would retain their titles, Xavier Woods distracted the referee and allowed for Kofi Kingston to grab the roll-up victory. Putting the titles on the New Day isn’t going to have anyone jumping for joy, but it will be nice to see Kidd and Cesaro chase the titles as babyfaces. Fans should be looking forward to these two competing again in the future, as they told a great story, pulled off a number of impressive spots, and the end sequence was believable.
It was announced that the King of the Ring would return on Tuesday night as a WWE Network exclusive. That’s sounds like something that is best for business.
Finally, the main event was sort of barely snuck its way into the pros column. These two ring technicians displayed solid fundamentals to start the match while Seth tried to sneak his way out of the cage. Rollins eventually took control after hitting the sling blade as both guys attempted to utilize the cage as a weapon early on. One positive in this match was that they were given sufficient time before the inevitable outside interference occurred, and seeing Orton hit a Pedigree was a nice change of pace. In the end, Kane of course interfered and helped Rollins retain the title after Seth hit Orton with an RKO. The commentators stupidly discussed whether Rollins was permitted to use the banned move after the match, as if it even mattered because the only two options were a win for Rollins or a disqualification victory for Orton – either instance resulting in Rollins keeping his title. Overall, this was your typical BS cage match, but it was one of the few highlights during an otherwise uneventful night, so here we are.
“WWE.com has learned that Daniel Bryan is medically unable to compete tonight at WWE Extreme Rules. Therefore, there will be no Intercontinental Championship defense.
How will this breaking news affect the Intercontinental Championship picture? Stay with WWE.com all night long for updates as this story develops.
Meanwhile, WWE.com has also learned that Bad News Barrett, Daniel Bryan’s original opponent, will now face Neville in the WWE Extreme Rules Kickoff at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, available for free on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Pheed and the award-winning WWE Network.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated the blog section of his official website, sharing his predictions for tonight’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view and talking about some other subjects. Below are some highlights:
On Friday’s “Cheap Pops” taping: “Had a great week down in Orlando observing the NXT TV tapings and doing some RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross Show business before Mick Foley’s ‘Cheap Pops’ WWE Network TV special was taped that will air this Wednesday night. My 30 minute set will not be a part of Mick’s special which will be a great, one hour TV special that I encourage everyone to check out.”
On the WWE Extreme Rules main event: “WWE Title Bout to be held inside a Steel Cage with Randy Orton’s RKO ‘Banned’…Rollins has to retain and one can expect a “cast of thousands” so to speak to be involved but hopefully the integrity of the cage will not be overly compromised in the process. Seth Rollins is still evolving as the WWE Champion and he’s a great choice for that role as, like many of his successful predecessors, Seth is a “beatable” champion but not tonight. Rollins and Orton should have a great match before all the shenanigans commence one would hope.”
On the Russian chain match: “US Title Bout is a ‘Russian Chain Match’ which will, I think, be the first for both men which is always an iffy proposition. Having a run through in a live event would’ve been ideal but be that as it may I am not a fan of beating the villain in allegedly his type of match but I also find it challenging to see WWE beat John Cena who is doing a grat job of making the US Title mean something since he won it. Unique booking to say the least which isn’t a bad thing but I’d have Cena lose the Title, chase Rusev and thus continue to add equity and attention to the championship. That’s what I’d do but that’s not likely to happen as I could see a Cena-Rusev blowoff match for the Title at Summer Slam if Rusev wins tonight.”
On Daniel Bryan’s status for tonight: “IC Title bout between Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett isn’t likely to happen due to DB’s health status that well could be related to concussion type symptoms but that’s merely my speculation. Nothing is more important than a wrestler’s health so this bout not occurring doesn’t bother me.”
– Goldust is campaigning on social media for his brother Stardust to get a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship if Daniel Bryan is unable to compete at WWE Extreme Rules tonight. Goldust tweeted the following on Saturday:
The WWE Universe will get its annual dose of extreme this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Every major title is scheduled to be defended, and nearly every match on the card features some sort of stipulation. Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.
Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (Tag Team Champions) vs. The New Day (Pre-Show Match)
The New Day sucks, plain and simple. They belong on the pre-show, and there’s absolutely no way they capture the titles on Sunday. Kidd and Cesaro continue their run as champions after picking up the victory. I do not think they will do so via pinfall or submission, however. I believe the New Day will be on the verge of defeat, leading to Xavier Woods interfering in the match and the New Day viciously attacking the champs. This would further solidify them as heels, while also starting a face turn for the champions by building fan sympathy.
Winners: Kidd & Cesaro by disqualification
Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper (Chicago Street Fight)
This has the potential to be one of the better matches of the night. Expect the action to sprawl all over the area in something resembling a hardcore match from the Attitude Era, with multiple weapons being utilized along the way. In the end, Ambrose will find a way to win after incapacitating his opponent with Dirty Deeds, hopefully leading to a push where he goes after the Intercontinental Championship now that it appears Daniel Bryan will be on the shelf for a while.
Winner: Dean Ambrose by pinfall
Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Bad News Barrett
Bryan is injured and will not be competing on Sunday. That’s basically a guarantee. WWE is essentially engaging in false advertising by not announcing that this match will no longer take place. Expect some sort of backstage segment during the show where Bryan is attacked to write him out of the storyline.
As noted earlier this week, WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan suffered an injury of some kind during his match on the April 9th live event in Dublin, Ireland. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bryan was hurt in his March 31st SmackDown match with Sheamus, and was already “banged up” heading into the WWE European tour. The injury that occurred during his 4/9 match likely just made matters worse and resulted in WWE sending Bryan home early.
According to one WWE source, Bryan is expected to be out of action for five weeks, so regardless of how serious his condition is, it is expected that he will be missing the WWE Payback pay-per-view on May 17th. WWE hasn’t confirmed whether or not he will be defending his title against Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules this Sunday as originally advertised, but it doesn’t appear that he will.
WWE confirmed last week that Daniel Bryan was sidelined from the European tour, but was not suffering from post-concussion symptoms. While the nature of Bryan’s injury still remains unclear, we’ve got more information regarding when he was hurt and how long he could be out of action.
The injury took place at the April 9th live event from Dublin, Ireland, when Brya teamed with Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan in a 6-man tag match against Sheamus, Bray Wyatt and Bad News Barrett.
Bryan was sent home from the tour to get checked out by doctors in the United States. WWE’s preliminary estimate was that Bryan would be out of action for about a month. The short timeframe is a good indcation that it wasn’t an issue with his neck, which many people were fearing.
It remains to be seen how much ring time he will actually miss. Earlier today, WWE teased that Bryan might be unable to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Bad News Barrett this Sunday at Extreme Rules.
Jim Ross recently updated the official blog section of his website to share his thoughts on Monday’s RAW and some other topics. Below are some highlights:
On Kane’s RAW performance: “Thought the irate and angry Kane persona was a plus. Not sure, other than Undertaker, that any WWE talent has ever had a more distinguished career than Glen Jacobs aka Kane. His character and integrity are beyond reproach and he should be what every talent in NXT strives to emulate. He is exactly the kind of person WWE needs to always utilize in a variety of ways as he is rock solid in every area and is an invaluable mentor to the young wrestlers.”
On Seth Rollins and the banned “Curb Stomp” rumors: “I don’t know if WWE has or has not banned the use of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher but many fans are seemingly up in arms about its absence. I say the safety of the athlete is always the first priority of any responsible company and if the move is more likely to concuss people than others then it needs to be eliminated. It’s that simple. Not sure why so many fans have taken to my Twitter @JRsBBQ to bitch about it but, at the same time, everyone has the right to an opinion. It’s too bad that so many people within the business have bastardized the DDT, among other moves, or it would still be a great finisher instead of another overused, uncreative high spot that everyone kicks out of on a regular basis. Those type of issues where finishing maneuvers have become impotent ‘spots’ is the fault of undisciplined bookers within the world of wrestling and lazy talents who have not mastered the art orf wrestling.”
On Daniel Bryan’s health: “Hopeful that Daniel Bryan is going to be OK soon but he has to change some of the things that he does whether he wants to or not and not be a prisoner to his on reputation as being one of the best wrestlers in the world. He could eliminate many things from his repertoire and still be one of the best talents in the business. His health is much more important than diving head butts, drop kicks where he strikes the back of his head on the canvas, etc. His most important job in life isn’t being a wrestler but a son, husband and perhaps some day a father. Without great health, those lots in life are more challenging and they’re not easy for a healthy person.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
WWE announced that the scheduled match between Daniel Bryan and Bad News Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view will only take place if Bryan’s health permits.
The company did not offer any additional details regarding Bryan’s health on Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW.
It’s worth noting that Bryan is still advertised for tonight’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Providence, Rhode Island, however he was advertised for Monday’s RAW as well, but ended up not working the show.
WWE Divas and Total Divas stars The Bella Twins recently spoke with Bang! Showbiz about a number of different topics. Below are some highlights from the interview:
On a Total Divas spin-off:
“Brie and I definitely want to do a spin-off; a show which will focus on our family and also includes our men. I think it would be amazing. We have this group of girlfriends which we’ve kind of introduced to the world, but not really. Not only are they beautiful but they have personalities that you wouldn’t believe, they kind of remind me of Cameron Diaz’s character in the film ‘There’s Something About Mary’.”
On working with their significant others on television:
Brie: “Something Daniel and I have always said is that if something organically happens that would be great (to be on ‘RAW’ together). As of right now there’s nothing in the works, but you can never say never, because in the future, you never know. I know the fans love it when we’re together I think it could be good television.”
Nikki: “I think, as of now, they’re trying to keep John and I as far apart as possible, and have us both focus on our championships. That then makes ‘Total Divas’ something special to tune into because it’s the only show where you can see John and I together.”
Although it was initially reported that Daniel Bryan was sent home from the WWE European tour early due to concussion issues, WWE is claiming that is not the case.
Bryan was, in fact, sent home from the overseas tour prematurely. WWE described the reason he was sent home early was due to a “precautionary measure,” however declined to offer additional details on his physical condition.
While Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter was reportedly told that Bryan was indeed dealing with concussion issues believed to stem from a recent match he had with Sheamus, WWE is claiming otherwise, instead refusing to offer an explanation past the point of saying, “he’s banged up.”
WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan made headlines this week when he was pulled from the WWE European tour earlier than planned due to concerns over his health. Rumors had been swirling for weeks regarding his physical issues, with many claiming that he had been telling friends that he was hurting more than normal.
“We didn’t know how my neck was going to do when I came back,” Bryan told Jericho on his podcast at the time. “It’s the same with any injury, I think. If you have knee surgery, you don’t know how your knee is going to do until you actually start putting pressure on it and you can do as much rehab or whatever you want, and now it’s this thing of it being like getting pretty worn down, and I’ve never felt this way before.”
Many questioned Bryan’s decision not to undergo additional surgery to try and better correct the physical issues he had been dealing with, including John Cena, who publicly disagreed with the way Bryan was handling the situation, which he alluded to during an episode of last seasons “Total Divas” reality show.
Bryan would later theorize that it could just be age and years of a very physically demanding style finally catching up with him.
“But I’m also getting older. So I don’t know if it’s just (that), but sometimes when you’ve been off for nine or 10 months, then coming back takes maybe some getting used to, and I don’t know if I’m still in that adjustment process,” said Bryan.
Bryan is scheduled to defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Bad News Barrett at the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, April 26, 2015, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
– On this week’s edition of “The Steve Austin — Unleashed” podcast, which is available right now, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shares his thoughts on the most effective use of the DDT inside the squared circle, his thoughts on Dolph Ziggler, NXT and Neville, Daniel Bryan’s injury issues and more.
Austin praised Neville’s match against Dolph Ziggler on RAW – but urged both men to sell more. Austin loved the DDT spot where Ziggler planted Neville, but didn’t like that Neville didn’t sell it for the rest of the match.
Regarding Daniel Bryan, Austin said that it might be time for Bryan to adjust his ring style and put more consideration into his longterm health. Austin mentioned that after he was injured by Owen Hart at SummerSlam 97, he transitioned from more of a technical wrestler to a brawler.
You can listen to the latest “Unleashed” episode at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE United States Champion John Cena talks about the WWE crew heading to Germany for the latest stop on the current WWE European tour. Cena tweeted the following:
After a wonderful and unpredictable few days in London. Now it is time for strong coffee and strong beer @WWEUniverse in Germany here we go!
– In the latest edition of the WWE Inbox web-series, WWE Superstars and WWE Divas reveal some of their “hidden talents.” You can check out the video below.
Following up on our report from yesterday that Daniel Bryan is currently working injured, WWE has apparently pulled Bryan from the remainder of the ongoing European tour.
The former WWE Champion has been working through an unspecified injury over the past few weeks and is scheduled to undergo a thorough medical evaluation when he returns home to the Untied States.
Bryan has been wrestling overseas on the European tour, but mostly in multi-man matches to limit his time taking bumps. He tagged with John Cena against Tyson Kidd and Cesaro in the main event of last night’s SmackDown tapings from London, but hasn’t wrestled on RAW for the past two weeks.
Daniel Bryan’s health has been a major topic of concern behind the scenes during WWE’s ongoing European tour.
The original plan for last night’s RAW was for Daniel Bryan to wrestle John Cena in a long, grueling match that would have pitted US Champion vs. IC Champion in a special attraction match for the UK crowd. The end result of Rusev attacking John Cena was scripted all along, but over the weekend, the decision was made to pull Bryan from the match and have Bad News Barrett wrestle Cena instead. The reason for Bryan’s removal was not disclosed to the producers.
While Daniel Bryan is still performing on the European tour, WWE is keeping his physicality limited. The talk backstage is that he’s either hurting or has an injury that could take him out of action soon. Bryan will undergo a thorough medical evaluation when he gets back to the United States.
As of this writing, Bryan is still scheduled to defend against Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules on April 26th.
Bryan is telling people he’s not injured and is just hurting, but WWE is playing it safe until they get more conclusive information.
WWE put on a six-man tag-team match as the non-televised post-show dark match after taping RAW at the O2 Arena in London, England on Monday afternoon.
The match saw WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan team up with Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler to take on the trio of Big Show, Sheamus and Luke Harper. The fans at the O2 Arena were said to be as loud and enthusiastic for this match as much as any other on the card.
The finish of the match saw the babyface team pick up the win after Bryan forced Harper to tap out to the “Yes! Lock.”
In a related note, with Lilian Garcia on the sidelines recovering from surgery, NXT Diva Eden handled the ring announcing for RAW this week. Garcia noted on Twitter that she will be live-tweeting with fans when the show airs in its’ regular time slot tonight.
For complete RAW spoilers for tonight, click here.
Following Monday’s taped edition of WWE RAW at the O2 Arena in London, England, new matches and stipulations were announced for the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
Below is an updated look at the lineup:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match With The RKO Banned
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE U.S. Championship Russian Chain Match
– John Cena (c) vs. Rusev
WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Bad News Barrett
WWE Divas Championship
– Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige
Rumored Matches
– Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
– Roman Reigns vs. Big Show (or Roman Reigns & Ryback vs. Big Show & Kane)
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Sunday, April 26th for the best WWE Extreme Rules live results coverage on the web!
– Coming out of this year’s WrestleMania, it’s worth noting that all but two of WWE’s current male champions (John Cena and Tyson Kidd) came from Ring Of Honor. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, NXT Champion Kevin Owens, WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan and one-half of the WWE Tag-Team Champions, Cesaro, all spent time in ROH.
– This week’s edition of NXT featured a look at Hideo Itami’s “Road to WrestleMania,” which led to the following back-and-forth on Twitter between Itami and NXT Champion Kevin Owens.
– WWE recently applied for a number of new trademarks. WWE has applied to trademark the term “Superfriends Crew,” possibly for a new stable. They also applied for “New Face of Fear” for Bray Wyatt, “Lone Wolf” for Baron Corbin, “The Vigilante” for Sting, “Anti-Diva” for Paige, “The Beast Within” for Brock Lesnar, and other terms such as Starrcade, Halloween Havoc and WWE Nation.
– UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey has signed with Dany Garcia, The Rock’s ex-wife and business partner, to be her new business manager. With a budding movie career (Fast 7, The Expendables 3) and a new book coming out next month, it will be interesting to see what’s next from UFC’s most dangerous female fighter.
It’s worth noting that Rousey and The Rock also share the same agent, Brad Slater.
– It’s believed that stipulations will be added to the Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton WWE title match and John Cena vs. Rusev U.S. title match at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Also expected for the PPV is Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler in singles action, and either Big Show vs. Roman Reigns or Big Show & Kane vs. Roman Reigns & Ryback. Already scheduled for Extreme Rules, in addition to the two aforementioned title matches, is an Intercontinental Championship bout between Daniel Bryan and Bad News Barrett.
This week’s WWE.com sit-down interview features Bad News Barrett speaking to Byron Saxton, who filled in for the “injured” Michael Cole. Here are some highlights of what Barrett said:
– Barrett said he exercised his rematch clause against IC Champion Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules because Bryan never beat him. He called Bryan a “paper champion” since he won the title in a multi-man match at WrestleMania.
– Barrett doesn’t understand why Bryan is so beloved by the WWE Universe. He talked about the backstage segment at WrestleMania where the legends congratulated Bryan for his IC title victory. No legends ever gave him a pat on the back for being IC Champion and it doesn’t make sense. Barrett said Daniel Bryan knows that he’s the true champion.
– Saxton said he doesn’t think any of Barrett’s IC title reigns have been as memorable as Bryan’s big win at WrestleMania. Barrett says it’s not about being memorable, it’s about proving you’re the best. Barrett said when he was champion, there was never any question about was the best. At Extreme Rules, he’s going to give Daniel Bryan something to remember.
Speaking of Cena, the WWE has a poll up asking who should respond to The Champ’s next open challenge. The options include Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Damien Mizdow, Sheamus, and more. With 25% of the vote, Sheamus is currently leading the results. Check out footage of Stardust answering this weeks’ open challenge below.
It was announced on this week’s edition of WWE RAW, which took place from Austin, Texas, that on next week’s RAW, which takes place in London, England, a battle royal will be held to determine the next number one contender to WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella.
Also on this week’s RAW, a tag-tem match was announced for this week’s SmackDown. On SmackDown this week, which will be taped on Tuesday night, Sheamus and Bad News Barrett team up to take on Dolph Ziggler and WWE Intercotinental Champion Daniel Bryan in tag-team action.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Tuesday evening for live SmackDown spoiler play-by-play results coverage!
Randy Orton will challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in the main event of Extreme Rules on Sunday, April 26th.
Orton defeated Roman Reigns and Ryback in a triple threat match on RAW to earn the title shot. After the match, Orton ate a curb stomp at the hands of Seth Rollins, who stood tall above a fallen Orton after RAW went off the air.
Also announced for the show, Daniel Bryan will defend the IC title against Bad News Barrett and Rusev gets a US title rematch against John Cena.
Join us here on April 26th for live results of WWE Extreme Rules.
coming out next month, it will be interesting to see what’s next from UFC’s most dangerous female fighter.